


Naming Your Stars

by StrawberriesxBeyond



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, M/M, Shifter Ren, Wolf Ren, kinda not really, not supposed to be an angsty fic, only tagging sly blue because aoba is going through a phase
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-18
Updated: 2015-03-15
Packaged: 2018-03-12 23:51:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3359912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawberriesxBeyond/pseuds/StrawberriesxBeyond
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was the little wolf in the woods that the elders told stories about and the children left scraps for. Some said it didn't exist, but others assured it wasn't small at all, standing at about ten feet high with claws that could rip straight through you. Say what you will, the little wolf would decide. He lived either way. And late at night when no one was there to hear, he'd howl into the woods, calling for the ones who no longer cared to listen.<br/>Until someone did.</p><p>~Or~ in which a couple of monsters teach each other what it means to be human.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Lack of Color

**Author's Note:**

> I had this planned out for a few months and then a few werewolf Ren AUs started to pop up and I decided, why not finally join the fun. I wanted this fic to be more feel good than anything, even though the beginning doesn't really seem like it. It takes awhile to pick up, but it'll get there. Of course, it starts off as your usual fairytale, but I like cliches. Hope you enjoy.

The little wolf followed no routine. Some days were spent avoiding the humans, while others were used to find food and simply sleep. There was not a set path in his life, despite the many laid out before him in these woods. He swore he was not lost as he'd wander, but he'd never be able to answer where he wanted to go.

The other animals avoided him, despite how small and nonthreatening he usually was, though he knew why. The others were not very fond of humans, and human the poor little wolf sometimes was, but that was very exhausting and was only really necessary once before, albeit for an extended period of time.

Today would be twice, though only briefly.

He did not enjoy the human form. It felt bare and unstable. He found it useless, as did the others, for the very existence of humans in general was useless and burdensome. He's heard they do nothing but take and destroy. Their reason is corrupt; that they have no restraint, only desire. He'd never know the truth of them though, and in return they don't know the truth of him.

It was late when he'd heard of the human roaming around by the river. He made a point of avoiding it. It was almost morning when curiosity got the best of him, and he skipped through the brush to find it in time.

This human was sloppy he'd decided, as he'd seen his marks first rather than smelled him. As the river ran down, he ran up. He found a boy who stood out sorely against the dull earth he stood in, and it was a wonder he wasn't a carcass adding red as well as the blue he came with to the earthy ground. Upon watching him, it brought an expected disappointment to the little wolf. The child did nothing but throw rocks, chase little things, carve into trees and attempt to hang from branches he couldn't quite reach. Disruptive, but not dangerously so.

Until he slipped and fell into the deep end.

The wolf startled, and his indecision came to surface as he whimpered and padded for the boy who'd yet to surface. He could not save a human child. The others would surely hate him, if they didn't already, and he was much too small.

Maybe it was because he recalled how disconnected he felt from the forest or maybe his natural instinct to protect - he could not decide. Whatever the case, he would later thank himself for choosing a kind who was more accepting of his existence as he took off toward the drowning boy. For now, he only left a confused and drenched child when he dashed off in hopes not to be seen.

As it turned out, the little wolf was right. The woodland creatures couldn't have hated him more the following day. No longer ignoring him, he instead felt their tension and heard their hisses whenever he'd pass. For the first time, he felt a kind of fear that made his insides squirm at every turn and made his hackles rise at any crack of the ground. It was then that the little wolf realized he had been lonely; and in fact still was.

He avoided most of the heavily vegetated areas of the forest now; anywhere that could make a home that he was not welcome in. He no longer took pleasure in resting, always worried that something would creep up while he was unaware. As weeks wore on, he grew more restless and jittery. And hungry.

Food became harder to come by; either his prey knew how to hide from him now, or his senses were dulling. When he'd manage a catch, it was bitter and unappetizing. He once got sick even.

He would often avoid the outer edges of the forest, where the humans resided. To not be seen, as well as to not be shunned. On a restless night where the urge to eat became too great, he ventured farther out, knowing he'd stumble across the offered scraps of eager children and superstitious believers.

He stayed near the end of the woods for almost a week, where he didn't have to work for food and where the harsh eyes of the others could not be felt. He felt safe where he was not supposed to. He came to terms with the fact that there were now two kinds of dangers in his world, and he was living on the edge of both of them. It was only a matter of time before either one swallowed him up.

For now he slept, the longest he'd slept in weeks - _in months_ \- comfortable with nothing but the soothing chirps of passing birds, the only ones that could not understand the others' fear of humans as they'd spend time with them everyday. The only ones that did not hate the little wolf. As they sang, he dreamed, and as he dreamed, the curious crept around the corner.

Years felt like months to the little wolf. He did not know how he aged, if at all. He'd met others similar to his own kind, ones that could not change like he did and were most feral compared to himself. Yet he was quite older than them and most were long dead whereas he did not even feel weak.

Though he outlived many of the other forest creatures, his "legacy" had yet to be forgotten. He lived on the outskirts of the forest, away from the others, receiving news from the ones who passed overhead. They often liked to remind him that the others were still very keen on bad mouthing him off to their young. Again, as he no longer minded, he merely slept and dreamt.

He was not awake to hear the birds gossip of another child or a few heading towards the woods. Either way, there'd be no difference. Human's passed through often, some curious children, while others were men out hunting for game. The doe were ignorant, and the birds oblivious. The little wolf knew if you were smart, they were easy to avoid. And yet he slept.

It was still early in the evening when a handful of boys not so accidentally stumbled into the woods. The animals resting on the earth scurried away upon their approach and winged creatures peeked from above. Loud and heavy footed, the boys shoved and chased their way into denser ground, some with grins, a fewer uneasy. Among them a familiar face trailed a pace behind, amused and cocky as an indifferent child could be.

"Should we head for the river?" One asked. There were eager cries of agreement and some hummed objections. One suggested to go bird hunting and another to start a bonfire or go tree climbing. Ideas continued to toss around, some shot down, others put on a list, though no one spoke up to continue with their play into the forest.

Our familiar face noted that they hadn't roamed far into the woods. In fact, he could feel their hesitance to do so. A few began to suggest turning back, and he wasn't surprised to hear the chain of agreements followed after. With a little huff, he began to amble in farther, in no particular direction.

The others were quick to notice, and quicker to call out to him.

"Hey!" When the boy had yet to stop, he called again. "Hey, Sly! Where d'ya think you're going?"

"I don't know. Around." Sly answered. With a short glance back, he added, "You guys are getting boring." The boys watched as Sly continued on, some dumbfounded and the rest offended. One was ready to yell after him before the boy with blue hair spoke again, "Don't bother finding me at the next match."

The boy ignored the few insults thrown at him as he walked away, a little grimace pulling at his lips. He thought of heading for the river, for old times sake, but grew bored at the thought. He knew better than any child that the forest wasn't all it's cut out to be until you emphasize the little legends that came with it. It was simple, calm, and quiet surrounded by nothing but greens and dirt, but there was an added thrill to jumping at every shadow that moved in fear of overgrown beasts and angry spirits. What fun was a forest without its ghost stories?

He didn't believe in such fairy tales, not since he was younger, but that didn't stop his curiosity; someone or something saved him that day. He used to return to the woods every day after that just to snoop around the river in search of his faceless hero. He eventually grew tired of never finding it and gave up. What did it matter now? He was alive, he was sometimes grateful, and that seemed to sate him for the time being.

He was very familiar with where the city began to blend into forestry, and knew several easy trails that lead toward the river. It'd been some time since he'd taken them, and as he trekked further he wondered what fascinated him so much to begin with. Whether he looked left or right, he only saw the same trees, and the ground beneath was no more interesting but for the stray creepy crawler or rotting log.

He felt no chills or dead eyes on his back as he continued on, no sense of dread or foreboding plaguing the air. He felt no evil or the supposed thrill of possible death ready to take him from behind. The most threatening thing in this forest was probably the persistent downward run of the river ready to pull any small, careless being under and away.

No, he wouldn't stumble across anything dangerous, not tonight; but he would find something. He would make sure of it.

Very much like his vision, his dreams were always very dull in color with the random splashes of bright this and that. He knew he saw the world differently from the humans; that some of the spectrum was lost on his eyes. He swore he would go blind during his first shift when suddenly there was the green of the floor that'd been described to him and the bright red of blood he'd been warned of. His gaze had avoided the world around him and instead steadied upon the familiar blue above him, but when it was time to come back, he couldn't help feeling disappointed.

Every day he'd rest in hopes of seeing those colors again, but behind his eyelids presented only the gray on which he slept. He took comfort in rolling onto his back to find the sky at least was of the right color.

The little wolf always knew he was destined to meet the boy with blue hair again. When he saved that small child all those years ago, he had chosen a side. He had done the impossible without even knowing it; he decided where he would wander to. He would follow after the one thing that connected the edge of both a world of ignorance and one of curiosity. Something blue.

When the little wolf awoke, it was to a snap only a few feet away from him. The sound was not out of place, as the birds often padded along the ground he rested on. He simply rolled, cracking and eye open to scan for the source. His eyes skimmed over a streak of blue and he startled to his feet as he subconsciously noted there should be no blue on the ground.

As he quickly scrambled the boy ahead was crouched, his wide eyes seemingly attempting to hold the little wolf still. He was not so skittish as the deer and doe were, but neither was he stupid. He made to bolt as any creature of the forest should if confronted by a human, but the boy's voice stopped him, and he stayed in place.

"Come here, boy." The boy beckoned, his hand just barely reaching out, palm face down. And then he grinned, "I won't bite if you don't."

The little wolf knew, like the others, he should not be able to understand what this human was saying, yet that was just one more thing to set him apart from them. One more reason to hate him. He began to wonder if that was possibly another reason why they despised humans so much. Because they couldn't understand them.

As he kept still, the boy tried a step forward. Feeling particularly stupid, the little wolf waited.

And quickly scampered away when the child's hand reached for his nose. The boy did not chase after him, though he felt his eyes follow his back as he dashed through the undergrowth and managed to catch the boy huff and mutter to himself, "Stupid dog."

The little wolf did not return to that clearing again, yet even so he felt it was futile. Every so often he was told of the boy returning to the woods, rarely with others, sometimes alone. On one evening the boy stumbled upon him once again, this time bearing gifts, offering some type of sealed meat.

Carelessly, though hesitantly, the little wolf went to bite off the offered food, but the boy reached with his other hand as the the little wolf crept closer. Snatching the treat and flinching away, the little wolf felt a brush along his ear as he darted back and once again ran off. He tried very hard to savor his treat before he slept.

Word traveled of the child who'd go searching for the little wolf - or rather of the child the little wolf kept bringing into the woods. The occurrence continued for years, and the others soon decided it was only a matter of time before he went completely traitor. In a rush of misplaced panic, they knew it was time for the little wolf to go.

It wasn't a plan, more so an agreement were the opportunity to pop up. They kept hush around the birds and braved through stalking weekly hunters. A sacrifice for the better of their future, they'd insisted. No one argued.

On an early morning, the little wolf knew something was off. The sky was clear, and the woods were quiet but for the singing of birds up in the canopies, no different as the days before, yet his skin still itched with unease. It was a feeling he eventually could not shake as he rushed through the early hours. He could not find enough things to busy himself with and he soon settled for a rest he knew was not in his reach.

Not long, a bird began to gossip. The child was outside the woods, she said. She made a point of letting the little wolf know that he wouldn't stay out of sight in a clearing like this, and he knew she was right.

He wandered around the brush for a time, avoiding the open grounds as the sun continued to rise. The tension had yet to leave his stiff bones and he was ready to find out why when he heard it. A small cry for help. He followed the sound farther in, and found a small creature on the ground, a rabbit, tugging his foot.

He didn't think twice as he rushed over to the fallen creature, but before he could reach it, he heard a snap and a sharp pain shot up his leg. He cried out as he convulsed. He barely registered the rabbit scampering away as he looked to his hind leg to find a glinting jaw swallowing him up. His panic set in and instinct made him tug back, but it seemed to only make the metal teeth dig deeper and he whimpered as the pain worsened.

The little wolf whimpered and whined as he uselessly continued to struggle, the birds gathering overhead, squawking down at him as there was nothing they could do. Not too far off, the blue haired child heard the startled cry and was quick to search for the source, following the whimpers that seemed to echo through the forest.

The little wolf's mind raced, unable to think clearly with the growing pain. He could die, he thought. He could lose his leg, lose all his blood. A hunter could find him, or even worse, a bear. He had never been frightened by death, as he knew it was natural. He thought when the time came, he would accept his end as any wise being should. How naive he felt now, cowering from the shadow that he told himself was apart of life. How naive he was to believe he wouldn't be scared.

He could die.

The thought fueled him and adrenaline kicked in as he knew he couldn't go out like this. He knew he could not escape on his own, not as a helpless dog. He completely forgot about how loathe he was in a human body as he tried to ignore the pain, mustering up his strength. It was hard to focus and he wondered how he had done it to save the human boy.

His breathing sped up as he felt his bones shift, and he regretted his decision not a moment later as the pain ripped through his legs, down to his knees, the gashes stretching along with his own body. His cries grew louder and more defined, hoarser. His breath was ragged when he stumbled back to get a grip on the the metal jaws. He did not hear the feet thudding towards him as he pulled with unfamiliar hands and with the little way it gave, he yanked his leg back, falling on his behind.

"Hey," As he tried to catch his breath the boy called out to him. Startled, he quickly glanced back before struggling to stand. "Hey, wait!" The boy demanded.

The little wolf, now human, was suddenly yanked back down, a tight grip on his arm.

"Lay back. You're hurt." He said in a stern voice. Too dizzy to argue, the little wolf complied. His vision began to blur as his eyes rolled down and fell upon his leg. All he saw was red, and he easily remembered the bold color. He heard a hushed curse from the boy before there was some shuffling next to him and something was being wrapped around his waist. He hissed when there was a pressure to his leg. His arm was being pulled around the other's shoulders and the boy began to stand.

"No." The little wolf groaned out breathlessly and his voice caught him off guard. As if he didn't hear him, the boy struggled to support the other and continued through the forest. The little wolf did his best to walk on his own.

He thought of nothing and everything as he was lead out of the woods. He'd never been this far from the forest. He wondered where they were going. He wondered why he was leaving in the first place. It was so fast. How did he end up this far from the forest?

He heard the boy mumble beside him. Something about backroads and a friend. He heard the word help, and that seemed to be enough for his addled mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my inspiration for this story actually came from looking up the meaning of Ren's name. I found a lot of different meanings, one of which was "humaneness" or something like that, and I thought, "Oh, that's ironic," so I threw that in here. Of course, it wasn't 'til after that I found out Ren means "lily" but I was too lazy to fix anything. Anyway, enjoy.

The boy's name was Aoba. Or Sly. He wasn't sure.

He'd yet to figure out where he was. He hadn't been in the city for years, and he didn't recognize most of the buildings they'd slipped between. He barely remembered when they'd arrived either.

There had been a rush the minute they stepped past the door. He had felt more hands grab at him, some rougher than others, but all strong. Like a skittish dog, he'd panicked. He was naked, wounded, and never had he been in a room with more than one human. It didn't matter that he was no longer trapped by those metals jaws, because now he was trapped by something he'd been told was even worse. Like a stray dog ought to be, he was scared.

He had vaguely noticed them pushing him down on a chair, holding him in place. Even more vaguely he'd heard someone softly shushing him as they took care of his leg. His anxiety quelled the stinging pain as they'd cleansed and bandaged his wounds, and after he was much too exhausted to feel even that.

They left him sitting for some time that he was not able to keep track of. He'd yet been able to process anything, but he soon felt himself tugged away from the suddenly comfortable chair and something soft was being pushed into his arms. Clothes, he realized, and with a sense of pride, he knew he was able to put them on. With shaky arms and trembling legs, he managed to slip through the various holes in the shirt, but he struggled with the pants and slipped before he could get his injured leg through.

He heard a snort, before Aoba - or Sly - offered him help. He wanted to say no. He wasn't supposed to be getting help from a human, but all day, that's all he'd gotten. He didn't want help, but Aoba didn't ask him if he wanted help; he'd asked him if he needed help.

He nodded slowly, and Aoba urged him to sit back down. He was gentle in slipping his foot all the way through the leg of the pants and even more so in standing him back up. He couldn't help but squirm as the boy gripped the waistband and slid the pants past his hips, his fingers tickling against his skin.

"Sorry we couldn't get you any underwear, but," Aoba grinned as he zipped and buttoned up the pants. "I believe this counts us even now, right?" He declared with a knowing look at the little wolf's dumbfounded face before leading him out to another room.

There were few people in there, none he could quite remember upon first entering the building. There was one young man that Aoba approached as he began to thank him. He suddenly knew where the humans came up with the term, "like a puppy" as he closely trailed behind Aoba before the boy demanded him to sit on one of the stools lined up next to a counter.

"It's no problem." The young man assured. He turned to the little wolf who was not ready for the question directed at him. "How're you feeling?"

Ren dumbly nodded as he whispered a forced, "Fine." As an after thought, he added a quiet, "Thank you."

The young man smiled at him and looked back at Aoba expectantly. With a huff, Aoba pointed to the little wolf, "Mizuki, this is - " He paused only briefly as his eyes flickered to the little wolf's face before confidently answering, "Ren." He thought the name ironic, and Aoba must have too as he had a proud little smile tug on his lips at his own humor. "He got jumped at the match last night. He's new in town." Aoba explained. "Ren" stayed quiet.

"Really? Never thought you were one to help out random strangers." Mizuki replied.

Aoba shrugged. "I owed him." He left it at that as he pulled Ren down from the stool.

"You're not taking him to yours, are you?" Mizuki suddenly asked.

With a sigh, Aoba answered, "Yes, I'm taking him to Granny's - and yes," He gave Mizuki a stale look, "She'll mind."

Since leaving the shop, Ren's nerves hadn't stopped jumping beneath his skin, his chest heavy as he struggled to keep pace with Aoba. His balance was off, and every step shot through his injured leg. He couldn't recall ever feeling so weak, and if possible he'd never been so tired. There was too much weight in his clothes, his pants threatening to slip off his hips and the material too rough around his crotch area. His feet were bare, nothing to protect them from the random rubble along the street they followed. Out of fear or curiosity, he couldn't help but stare at the few people they passed, who gave him irritated glances in return.

They hadn't spoken since being in Mizuki's shop, and Ren wasn't sure if he was comfortable with that. He wondered who "Granny" was, and if he should be worried about her not welcoming him into her home. He wondered if Aoba would keep him there regardless. He wondered mostly if he would be able to return to the woods.

They didn't walk far, but it felt like hours to Ren. They approached a small house eventually, though, like all its neighboring buildings, it was quite tall. Aoba reached for the front door easily, pulling the handle, only to be stopped short. With a small sigh, he reached into his pocket and procured a ring of keys, unlocking the door.

Ren crept in cautiously after Aoba, waiting for an aged and angrier, female version of the blue haired boy to pop out any second and condemn him back into the woods he came from. Aoba simply lead him farther through the threshold.

"Are you hungry or are you tired?" He asked. Ren wanted to say both, but the thought of taking food from this boy now didn't settle well with him. He went with tired.

Ren soon wished he had said hungry instead as he was faced with a small flight of stairs. He'd never actually climbed up any before, but he knew how they worked. On any other day when his leg wasn't tearing apart and he wasn't tripping over his own feet, he'd have no trouble.

Aoba, noticing his hesitation, laughed softly. "Don't worry. I'll help you." With Aoba steady at his side, Ren managed to limp over all the steps with some time. He tried not to think of how he would get back down.

He was brought to a bright, cluttered room with plain walls, random this and thats stacked up against corners upon the floor. Aoba led him to the bed across the room and he couldn't help but sink into the mattress. It was warm and soft - nothing like the forest floor he was so used to sleeping on. He hardly remembered his head hitting the pillow or his eyes falling shut. If he dreamt, they were soon lost to him not a second later.

When he woke, it felt like minutes, yet his body ached and his eyes were heavy as though it'd been days. The light previously encasing the room was suddenly replaced with an artificial glow, and the warmth that drifted him into rest no longer caressed his body. His feet burrowed deeper into the covers as his head sunk further into the pillows, intent to not yet rise.

He tried not to think. Silly of him, as he only thought more, and dread was all that filled his core. He shouldn't be here, laying in a human's bed, but then again where else would he be? Probably out to kill a rabbit now if he hadn't been saved. Or dead.

He suddenly felt very stupid at his carelessness, though he didn't get time to wallow in his frustrations as the door slowly creaked open. Ren quickly sat up as Aoba stepped in. He avoided the boy's face for the most part and merely grunted when asked how he slept. He kept his head down until a hand was shoved in front of his nose. He looked up questionably.

"It's to help with the pain." Aoba said.

Ren glanced back to find two white pellets in the boy's palm. Aoba continued to look expectantly at him, and as he pinched them into his own hand, Aoba pushed a glass of water into his other. When Ren had yet to do anything but gawk, Aoba huffed and tried to explain.

"You swallow them." He started. "Just put 'em in your mouth and chug the water."

Ren glanced up nervously, and for some reason he couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Two tiny pellets, and he was scared he was going to choke.

Aoba's face began to shift into annoyance at Ren's hesitation, though he kept his voice light, although tight. "Am I gonna have to treat you like an actual dog and wrap it up in some cheese for you? Come on, it's easy, just chug a lot of water with it." He took on a hopeful look when Ren moved to take the pills, but it fell when they never reached his mouth.

Aoba groaned, snatched the pills away, and stomped out of the room, muttering about, "shitty dog," on his way out. Ren stared dumbly into his lap, and when Aoba returned he once again refused to meet the boy's eyes.

"You're not supposed to take pills on an empty stomach anyway. Come on, there's dinner downstairs." He beckoned.

Ren found it was much harder to go down the stairs than up. It didn't help that he kept refusing Aoba's offers of help.

Ren could smell the food before they reached the kitchen and it was that moment he decided that yes, he was very hungry and could stand to take some food from these people, though hopefully Aoba's grandmother would never have to find out about his visit. She didn't seem to be here now, unless she was waiting to pop up and scare him out before he could touch their food.

Aoba seemed to notice his nervousness and informed Ren that his grandmother was still working.

"So you better eat quick before she gets here. She's not afraid to lecture me when guests are here."

So Ren ate quickly while still trying to enjoy the dinner. He didn't know much of what he was eating, but it was good. It was different. It wasn't meant for him. It was human.

When he finished, Aoba rushed to clean up after him, ordering him back to his room. As Ren left he noticed Aoba poke at the bit of food he left, a pleased look crossing his face.

Another struggle up the stairs and an insistent Aoba later, Ren sat on the boy's bed as said child dug through his closet. He pulled out a pair of shoes for Ren, jokingly asking if he needed help tying the laces as Ren began to slip them on. Ren scoffed, and managed a decent enough knot and bow.

The shoes slightly threw off his balance for some time, especially on the second trip down the stairs, but as they left the house and continued to walk, it became easier.

As Ren began to wonder where they were going, Aoba spoke up.

"How's your leg?" He asked. Horrible, thought Ren, though maybe that was just his mood. It still hurt to move, but he could bear it for the time being.

"Fine." He answered. He still could not get used to the sound of his own voice. It was still hoarse as it had been earlier, probably from his lack of speech, and it was deep. He hadn't heard his voice as a human in years. He felt much too weak and vulnerable to have such a voice.

Aoba gave him a curious look and a quick once over before slowly asking, "How old are you anyway?" When Ren did not answer, he asked instead, "Do you know?"

Ren thought about it, he really did. He used to know how old he was, however many years ago when it still mattered. Living in the forest alone, he eventually lost track of time.

With a quick shake of his head, he said, "I don't."

Aoba hummed and shrugged his shoulders. "You don't look that old. We'll say you're around my age." He decided.

Ren merely nodded.

"So you're about seventeen years old, your name is Ren, and you're from..." The forest, Ren thought. "The mainland, but you don't like to talk about it. Alright?" Aoba looked to him for confirmation, and again Ren simply nodded.

"If anyone asks how we met, just tell them your parents knew Granny. We don't need anyone seeing you as a new threat." With a roll of his eyes, he added, "People here don't take well to the unmarked." He sent him a quick glance. "Or rather, to markings they don't recognize." Aoba grinned, and Ren lightly brought a hand to his cheek.

Though Ren was curious about "the unmarked", he didn't ask about it. Instead, he inquired hesitantly, "Where are we going?" Which was probably the most he's said since being human.

"Shopping." Aoba replied casually.

Forest dweller or not, Ren was pretty sure this didn't constitute as shopping.

They'd walked to a supermarket not too far from Aoba's home. Everything on this island seemed to be within walking distance, as there were close to no vehicles around.

Aoba had pulled him along through aisles of clothing, handing him various t-shirts and a couple pairs of pants as well as underwear. When Ren worked up the courage to ask him, "Why so many?" Aoba had simply told him he'd see and promptly led him to the dressing rooms.

"Take those off." Aoba ordered, gesturing to his current clothes. Ren noticed he did that a lot.

Ren briefly noted that humans believed in the concept of modesty, as proven by the closed off and divided spaces used for changing. It seemed to be a rule of sorts that one covered their body as not to offend others, yet Aoba didn't seem to mind in the slightest as Ren began to strip. Humans were weird.

As Ren carefully slipped off the pants, Aoba handed him the underwear.

"Put these on. All of them."

There were four in all, and Ren determinedly concluded that this boy was insane. The first pair was tight and he couldn't remember ever feeling so constricted as they stuck to his thighs and everything else. The next three were hell. Aoba only laughed.

It wasn't until Aoba helped him squeeze into a couple of pairs of jeans as well as the pants he came in that Ren finally asked, "What's the point of this?"

"So you don't stink up my house with your week old laundry."

"That's not what I meant." Ren mumbled.

Aoba sighed as he tossed him the few shirts. "Don't worry about it."

He left the dressing rooms feeling stiff and flushed as Aoba led him through the store without any qualms. They cut through a few aisles, Aoba stopping briefly to take a bottle off a shelf. He was made to wait not too far off as Aoba paid for the one bottle before they left.

The walk back seemed to take longer. Maybe because of Ren's confined legs, or probably because Aoba seemed to purposely walk slower. Ren couldn't help but feel the need to hurry, expecting to be chased down by the law any second. Not even a whole twenty four hours as a human and already he was a criminal. Granted, he didn't technically exist, but then that might only cease to make matters worse.

There was a lot more people walking the streets then there had been in the morning. Most went about their business with a purposeful fashion, but there'd be the occasional cluster that'd sent them lingering leers. He couldn't help but notice every person they passed as he unconsciously moved closer to Aoba, though he didn't regard everyone with the same unease.

Aoba was hesitant this time as he went to unlock the door when they finally reached his house. His hand moved slowly and he cringed slightly at the click of the lock and drag of the door. As Ren was ushered inside, he was quick to notice the darkness encasing the whole house and a small bout of anxiety weighed down in his chest.

If he struggled up the stairs before, it was ten times worse going in blind. Aoba, though quick to catch him when he stumbled, was also quick to scold him for the noise.

With little incident Aoba pushed Ren into his room, tossing the single bottle he'd bought to a random corner on the floor as he toed off his shoes, gesturing for Ren to do the same. Ren sat as he did so, unable to properly bend his knees without falling back.

"Alright, let's get you out of these." Aoba said, pulling Ren back to his feet before gripping his pants. He unbuttoned and unzipped the pants easily, but was unable to tug all of them off at once as he'd so tried. With some eventual teamwork, they managed to slip the pants off, neither unable to fight off their triumphant grins.

Aoba did not let him slip off all the underwear, but one was better than four he'd concluded. He was given the choice of keeping a shirt on as well to which Ren eagerly denied, tired of feeling confined.

With a shrug, Aoba was quick to change himself. As the boy slipped into bed, Ren stood off awkwardly in the corner. Before completely settling in, Aoba patted at his feet with a little smirk as he beckoned the other over with a low whistle.

Ren frowned, but obeyed, inching over to sit at the boys feet.

"Sleep if you want." Aoba had told him, and Ren simply sat back and waited for the boy's breathing to slow.

He tried to shift that night, but without the adrenaline spurring him on, it was near impossible. With no luck, he'd hopped around on the veranda in hopes his sped up heart would urge on his instincts. He'd made like he would launch himself over the railing, thinking maybe all he needed was a little scare. Nothing worked, and after a good hour, he gave up. He stayed outside, listening to the traffic with his dulled hearing.

Everything in this city was bright but for the stars, he noticed. They somehow seemed to disappear, but the longer he watched the sky, the more he'd be able to see, so he watched. He watched the sky shift and the clouds drift. He watched inside as Aoba tossed and noticed the blinking light of his computer. He watched the streets as a random passerby's face could be seen lit up by a tiny glare from their hand. He dozed here and there, and every time his eyes opened, it was slightly darker than last.

When light began to seep in and crawl over Aoba's face, the boy begrudgingly peeked around, noticing a certain missing dog from the room. He was quick to spot him sitting out on the veranda, his head lolled back and motionless. Slightly confused, mostly amused, his face dropped into his pillows as he contemplated fetching the other. He stayed for a minute, still but for his dragged out breaths. It was calm for a moment, until he began to think. Curiosity and eagerness pulled him out of bed, albeit slowly. He sat up first and simply watched Ren, bare past any modesty goes at the end of winter. Dumb dog.

He crept over lazily, but decided it best to make as much noise possible peeking out the veranda. Ren woke easily, as though he'd never been asleep, looking more confused than anything.

"Alright you little exhibitionist, get inside. You're gonna get sick."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of short, I guess. Hopefully the next update won't take a month. We'll see.  
> Thank you for reading, and your thoughts would be nice.

**Author's Note:**

> I've never actually continued a multi chaptered fic before, and I think the reason why is because I used to write long chapters and while writing them I'd get bad writers block. Also probably because I never properly planned them, but I've decided to start writing shorter chapters, maybe that way I'll update more often. We'll see. If not, then this is still probably good practice. Your thoughts would be nice, and thank you for reading. :)


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